Device for the placing of packages into a collecting carton

ABSTRACT

A device for depositing groups of packages into a collecting carton in which successive groups of packages are delivered from a conveying belt to and between a pair of spaced rollers having ledges for receiving the group of packages and when said rollers are rotated in opposite directions the group of packages is lowered into a collecting carton and the sequence of steps is repeated until the carton is filled.

United States Patent 1 Rauser DEVICE FOR THE PLACING OF PACKAGES INTO A COLLECTING CARTON [75] Inventor: Jan Axel Ingemar Rauser, Lomma,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Tetra Pak International AB, Lud,

Sweden [22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 280,179

[52] US. Cl 53/160, 53/61, 53/248, 53/251, 214/6 DK [51] Int. Cl B65b 35/46 1 [58] Field. of Search, 53/160, 159, 251, 53/248,'247; 214/60 K [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,847,809 Lindeman et a] 53/160 [111 3,783,584 [4 1 Jan. 8, 1974 3,732,969 5/1973 Formo .L 53/159 Primary Examiner -Travis S. McGehee I Attorney-Pierce, Scheffler & Parker 5 7] ABSTRACT A device for depositing groups of packagesinto-a collecting carton in which successive groups of packages are delivered from a conveying belt toand between a pair of spaced rollers having ledges for receiving the group of packages and when said rollers are rotated in opposite directions the group of packages is lowered into a collecting carton and the sequence of steps is repeated until the carton is filled.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR THE PLACING F PACKAGES INTO A COLLECTING CARTON The present invention relates to a device for moving from a conveyor belt a number of small, parallelepipedic cartons delivered on the same down into a large carton.

The problem which the invention sets out to solve arises for example when milk in so-called tetrahedral packages is to be packed in baskets or collecting cartons. Previously the cartons were delivered individually on a conveyor belt, from which the cartons were moved at a particular point perpendicular to the conveyor belt to a table along-side the belt. When a specified number of packages had been collected on the table these-were lifted by means of a gripper arm over to the large cartons. This method comprises some disadvantages, however, among which might be mentioned that appreciable losses of time arise, and that the position of the parallelepipedic cartons has to be fixed accurately before the gripper arm can lift them.

It is the object of the present invention to make possible in accordance with a new principle the placing of preferably mutually equal parallelepipedic cartons into a collecting carton'with the help of a device which has a very simple scheme of movement, whilst by utilization of a common source of power good synchronization is obtained between the effective parts of the device, and consequently appreciable saving of time is achieved. In accordance with the invention, the insertion of the parallelepipedic cartons is positively controlled, which entails higher capacity and safer placing into the collecting carton.

The invention is described in detail in the following with refe-rence to the enclosed drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a plan'view of the device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is aperspective view of. the same device, and

FIG. 3, 4 and 5 show end views which illustrate different mutual positions of the rollers which are made use of in the invention, and of the parallelepipedic cartons fed downwards between these rollers, respectively. Wherever possible, identical reference numbers have been used in the different figures.

The parallelepipedic cartons or packages shown in position 1 in FIG. 1 and'2 are delivered on a conveyor belt 2, a mechanical barrier 3 separating the groups of packages 4, each of which, in the example shown in FIG. 1 and 2, comprises four packages. Thus a certain distance will always exist between the individual groups of packages thanks to the said barrier 3, which is controlled by a photo-cell 5 or any corresponding monitoring device which counts the number of packages which are passing. When a certain number of packages has passed the photo-cell 5 it transmits a signal, for example to a pneumatically driven piston 6 (the bearing of which has been omitted in the figures so that these might gain in clarity) which by means of an end plate 11 fixed on a piston rod 12 pushes a certain number of packages, which forms one of the aforementioned groups of packages 4, forward in the direction of the conveyor belt 2 towards and onto the ledges 7 or 8 which may for example form an integral part of rotatable rollers 9 and 10. These rollers and ledges are shown more clearly in FIGS. 3-5. At the same time as the number of packages which corresponds to a group of packages 4 is pushed forward onto the ledges 7 and and 18 respectively in connection with the end positions 15 and 16 respectively of the piston rod, so that the outer end of piston rod 12 will be fully positively controlled in the track 13. When the piston rod 12 commences to move back from its end position 15, and the end plate 11 is then also in its end position according to the above, a signal is transmitted for the rollers 9 and 10 to rotate in opposite directions in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The rollers 9 and 10 are mutually connected by means of the gears 20 and 21 which engage one another, and the gear 20 is driven via a chain 22 (FIG. 2) by a motor 23, which via a chain 24 also drives a conveyor belt 25 for the delivery of a box or collecting carton 26, the dimensions of which are chosen so that a group of packages 4 fits exactly between the side walls of the same. Furthermore, the effective circumference 28 of the rollers 9 and 10 is chosen to be equal to the length of a package perpendicular to the rollers. If the piston rod roller 30 moves in the abovementioned manner in the direction marked by the arrow 19 in FIG. 1 the end plate 11 of the piston rod I 12 will move in a track which does not block new packages, as they are delivered on the belt 2.

When the rollers 9 and 10 rotate in the directions shown in FIG. 3 all the parallelepipedic cartons delivered to the ledges 7 and 8 in groups of packages4 will be clamped between the rollers and will be fed as a unit straight downwards, in the manner shown in FIG. 4, in the direction of the intended place in the collecting carton, which will then be located underneath it. When the rollers 9 and 10 approach the position shown in FIG. 5, the packages will assume their place in the collecting carton.

The different gear and chain wheels, which rotate the rollers 9 and 10 and advance the conveyor belt 25-respectively, are so actuated'that the collecting carton 26 will have been delivered into the position where it is to receive the next group of packages exactly at the same time as this group of packages is delivered down between the rollers 9 and 10. When a collecting carton has been filled, the carton is advanced a distance corresponding to two rows of packages. The device will thus operate very effectively.

The movements of the rollers 9 and 10 and of the conveyor belt 25 of the collecting carton respectively are controlled as mentioned above by the motor 23 and can suitably be transmitted to the chains 22 and 24 via a common gear-box 27. If the capacity of the inserting device is not made full use of, the driving motor 23 can be shut down between cycles.

The'invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, which represents an example of the invention and its application. I T

I claim:

1. A device for depositing groups of parallelepipedic pair of parallel spaced rotatable longitudinal rollers disposed at the delivery end of said conveyor belt, the axes of said rollers being parallel to the direction of movement of said belt, each of said rollers being provided with a longitudinal ledge extending radially outwardly from each roller, said rollers being spaced apart a distance not greater than the lateral transverse dimension of a package for frictionally gripping a group of packages and the circumference of each roller being at least equal to the vertical dimension of a package, said ledges being initially positioned facing each other to form a support for a group of the packages, means for delivering a group of packages from said conveyor belt to the opposed stationary ledges, means for periodically rotating said rollers in opposite directions and means for delivering a collecting carton to a position immediatelly below said rollers and for periodically moving said carton a distance sufficient to ensure a free space therein for receiving a succeeding group of packages, whereby a series of groups of packages may be separately delivered from said belt to said ledges and,v

upon rotation of said rollers, may be lowered into a collecting carton.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising means for blocking the advance of additional packages on said belt when the desired number of packages to form a group have passed said blocking means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for delivering .a group of packages from said conveyor belt to the opposed stationary ledges, includes a guide track by which said delivering means, after positioning a group of packages on said ledges, returns to its initial position along a path removed from its delivery path to clear the next group of packages to be delivered to the ledges. 

1. A device for depositing groups of parallelepipedic packages into a collecting carton comprising a conveyor belt for transporting a series of the packages, a pair of parallel spaced rotatable longitudinal rollers disposed at the delivery end of said conveyor belt, the axes of said rollers being parallel to the direction of movement of said belt, each of said rollers being provided with a longitudinal ledge extending radially outwardly from each roller, said rollers being spaced apart a distance not greater than the lateral transverse dimension of a package for frictionally gripping a group of packages and the circumference of each roller being at least equal to the vertical dimension of a package, said ledges being initially positioned facing each other to form a support for a group of the packages, means for delivering a group of packages from said conveyor belt to the opposed stationary ledges, means for periodically rotating said rollers in opposite directions and means for delivering a collecting carton to a position immediatelly below said rollers and for periodically moving said carton a distance sufficient to ensure a free space therein for receiving a succeeding group of packages, whereby a series of groups of packages may be separately delivered from said belt to said ledges and, upon rotation of said rollers, may be lowered into a collecting carton.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising means for blocking the advance of additional packages on said belt when the desired number of packages to form a group have passed said blocking means.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for delivering a group of packages from said conveyor belt to the opposed stationary ledges, includes a guide track by which said delivering means, after positioning a group of packages on said ledges, returns to its initial position along a path removed from its delivery path to clear the next group of packages to be delivered to the ledges. 